The future is now for the New York Mets. Because the team is officially taking the bold step of promoting an elite pitching prospect who was just in Double-A a few weeks ago.
The moment many Mets fans hoped for has arrived. On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Will Sammon broke the news that stud pitching prospect Jonah Tong is being promoted to the big league roster. He will make his first MLB start on Friday night against the Miami Marlins, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
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Two weeks ago, the club promoted fellow stud prospect Nolan McLean. And the pitcher has looked outstanding over his first two starts in the big leagues. In 12.1 innings, he has given up just two runs, four walks, and has punched out 15 big league batters.
The Mets’ farm system was moved up to the No. 1 spot on ESPN’s latest rankings. And Tong is among their very best prospects. But can he be even more impactful than McLean?
What Jonah Tong brings to the New York Mets for their playoff chase
While New York has won six of their last nine, they are in a serious fight to make the playoffs. They are still six games out of first in the NL East after a win on Monday, and just 2.5 games up on the Cincinnati Reds for the final Wild Card Spot in the NL.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. And this is arguably a break class in case of an emergency move for the Mets. But it could prove pivotal for locking up a playoff spot and making another deep playoff run in October.
In his first two seasons, Tong posted solid numbers. But he took a huge leap forward in 2025. Not only is he turning into the best pitching prospect in their system, but, arguably, the best in all of baseball. After posting a 1.59 ERA in 20 starts in Double-A this season, he was promoted earlier this month. In his first two outings at Triple-A, he’s pitched 11.2 scoreless innings, with five hits, eight strikeouts and one walk on 88 pitches.
While he could be given more time in the minors, he looks pretty ready for the big league jump now. Tong’s delivery has been compared to San Francisco Giants great Tim Lincecum in the way he hides the ball. His fastball rests in the low 90s but has a mean break on it. He brings a nasty 12-6 curveball, a rock-solid slider, and a good changeup.
At the least, he brings a fresh look to the Mets’ rotations for the stretch run and could be a major difference maker as a starter or reliever in the weeks and months ahead. In a best-case scenario, he could be a game-changing addition for the rest of the year.
